The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-15
READY TO DO SOMETHING
The Aldermen Intend to Amend the Nat
ural-Gas Ordinance Friday Night.
Councilmen, However, Are Disposed to Insist
on Reduction in the Schedule-The Ohio
Company Offers to Sell It's Leases.

Pending the action of the Board of Aldermen
on the gas ordinance, there is a lull of gossip
regarding probabilities. Home capital a pos
sible factor in piping gas to the city has dropped
almost wholly out of current talk. 1t is not that
it will decline to make the investment. but the
truth is, the local companies are not by any
means satisfied with the ordinance passed by
the Council. II the amendments the aldermen
propose to make are as liberal
represented, the Standard Oil Company
will doubt accept its provisions and go to
work at The only question the Aldermen
are holding to now is what capacity of gas will
the various mixers give. They have been fur
nished with considerable information that
point and will get more before Friday evening
L. is the purpose then to pass the ordinance
under suspension of rules. SO the Council can
consider it at the meeting next Monday night
Many Of the councilmen are ready TO go the
length proposed by the Aldermen in voting down
the free supply and the tax feature. but 1t
is probable an attack will be made the
schedule of prices, which will have been reduced
25 per cent in a few instances, and less in others.
The opponents to the schedule propose to con-
duct their fight on the mixer and urge if nothing
better be done, the adoption of meter meas
uremeut Yet with all this prospective conten-
ton the outlook is favorable for the passage of
the ordinance al amended.
In addition the home companies, the repre-
sentatives of the Guty syndicate still here,
with no Information to give to their purpose
beyond a desire to share in the usurruct of the
granting of an open franchise The report that
Ohio capitalists from Toledo also to
make use of the privileges granted has
caused but little interest among those
who have been keeping posted
natural gas indications A gentleman
remarked last night that he did not think there
was much in that project 1.-The person who
sumes to represent the Toledo people" he said.
holds out that they control several thousand
acres of what they regard naturalg gas terri
tory. He said his principals would be here to-
day, but do not think they came. 1t is my
understanding that the territory is undeveloped
and its lessees are not certain that they have
gas in sufficient quantities for piping. 1t may,
however be very good territory after few wells
are sunk. The agent. am .old, tried to decker
with the Standard Oil people to have them take
their leases. but know that company has just
now all the land it requires, and is not in the
market to purchase leases uncertainties"
There has been perceptible change of opin-
ion among manufacturers since their meeting
week ago. They express a desire to get gas
the terms offered by the Standard Oils contract
basis 1t is not una nimously SO, but those who
do not favor it have virtually reached the
cusion that it il better to have it that way than
not at all. A few still insist on a maximum
charge.